With serene, spa-like interiors, the Early Medical Centre is the antithesis of what one often expects when entering a medical facility. And that is the point. Rather than a sterile space void of personality, the Singapore-based screening and preventative health-care clinic — which blends traditional wellness approaches with advanced scientific technologies and more contemporary treatment methods — desired a setting that promoted transparency and a sensitivity to the patient experience.

The fully glazed facade offers a clear view to the striking interiors while balancing the building’s existing light box.

To translate its concept into physical form, the clinic enlisted Gabriel Tan and his team at local design agency Studio Antimatter, which specializes in interiors that are sensorial and emotional. As this was the first healthcare project for the firm, Tan consulted with multidisciplinary practice FARM, which helped form research surveys and focus groups to identify who exactly uses preventative care and what type of services they look for; Tan’s own team then investigated how design could play a positive role in alleviating the negative emotions and psychology frequently associated with visiting a medical centre.

Based on the complementary results, and with input from the client, Antimatter formulated a floor plan that centred around a patient-forward circulatory “journey” that supported Early’s idea of transparency. Tan communicated this intention by fronting the clinic — which took over four units that used to house retail and restaurant spaces in a single-level volume attached to a seven-storey building — with a full-height glass facade. The previous tenants had exterior spaces that were not necessary to the clinic; these were absorbed into the interior by pushing out the glazing. “One should have full clarity of one’s health and well-being in order to make informed decisions,” says Tan, equating the use of glass to the clinic’s ethos.

Inside, two existing structural columns became anchor points for a circular path that leads visitors from the reception desk and a semi-private “discussion area” around to the consultation and exam rooms (for X-rays, CT scans, mammograms and more) on the perimeter; the change rooms and spaces for less invasive procedures like biometrics, audiometry and tonometry are centrally located behind reception. The deliberately wide corridors and rounded-off corners and volumes contribute to the sense of openness, while a cove ceiling conceals the mechanics and electrical components.

A towering grid of LED-illuminated, acrylic-fronted drawers backs the pharmacy desk, a futuristic move inspired by traditional Chinese apothecaries.

The curvature of the custom upholstered furniture echoes that of the new cove ceiling. Wider-than-usual corridors help create a sense of openness throughout.

“The varying drop heights of the cove ceiling also work as a design element to visually zone each functional space,” says Tan. “They also help to make the space feel more personal and intimate.” Based on Antimatter’s research (combined with FARM’s data), the space was bathed in a palette of pastels. “Gentle gradients of soft, warm colours are known to evoke a soothing effect and are able to lower a person’s anxiety,” says Tan of the peachy shades, sandy beiges and light grey tones used on the walls, furniture, and other accents. Calm and tranquil, the design of the healing space is a remedy in and of itself.

The hospital experience needs a complete rethink. Being admitted in the first place disrupts your life (and the lives of your loved ones), taking you away from the comfort of home at your most vulnerable. And the labyrinthine layouts of hospitals are disorienting, even when you’re being navigated by a friendly porter. Most frustrating of all (beyond the scary stuff of IVs, MRIs and other necessary evils) are the long wait times between specialist appointments, which can also prolong the hospital stay. The patient, in other words, is at the mercy of a system of care that, even in advanced medical settings, sometimes seems anathema to healing. What if the whole enterprise were upended?

With Bionica, Yunnan Allen and Brian Schaller (senior project architect/team leader and senior project designer/artistic director, respectively) present a futuristic hospital concept of a robotics-enabled facility consisting of modular pods arranged in a gridded tower. It sounds like the stuff of sci-fi, but it’s rooted in the real world: HDR, the firm that Allen and Schaller work for, has made healthcare facilities a specialty of its capacious portfolio. But for Allen, Bionica is also deeply personal. “I’m a cancer survivor and was in hospital a lot. As a patient as well as someone that helps to design and build hospitals, I feel like the dual viewpoint gave us a unique perspective.”

Central to HDR’s futuristic hospital concept is the inclusion of detachable pods.

The first obstacle that Bionica tackles is how to get the patient to the hospital. A pod detaches from the framework and picks them up at home via a drone (or by truck, depending on the situation), which then delivers them to the mother ship. Here, the appointments come to the patient. Modules equipped with different services like CT scans, MRIs and labs — even operating rooms — are robotically transported to plug into the patient’s module. Verdant gardens and communal spaces abound throughout, a consideration for both those on the mend and often-overworked hospital staff. The dynamic concept was entered (and won first place) in a competition for bold new ideas on the future of healthcare.

These units could contain MRI, CT and OR modules.

While it seems like a utopian moonshot, Bionica’s core ideals are already piquing the interest of both doctors and builders. “I showed the video [created for the competition] to my two oncologists,” says Allen. “They definitely know the future of healthcare and they’re extremely excited about where this is going. Then I showed it to a contractor, fearing that they would just think there’s no way this is going to work. But they also got super excited. Now, they’re constantly asking, ‘What are you guys doing about Bionica?’”

The complete overhaul of the patient experience that Bionica represents should inform future healthcare projects everywhere.

The design for the Rosemont Aquatic Centre in Montreal — by Poirier Fontaine Architectes in collaboration with local firms KANVA and Riopel + Associés Architectes — is all about connections. The most obvious of these are the literal passage-ways, slated for construction, that will link a historical building at the site (a community complex from 1951) to the new facility, an L-shaped edifice that flanks a corner of the block. The aquatic centre, now open and running, has two public pools — one for families and one for athletic events — and boasts exterior details, like bold horizontal lines and chevron-patterned windows, that reference the art deco–inspired look of its older peer.

The entirety of the new Rosemont Aquatic Centre, including its pools, is accessible to all ability levels. New windows create cross views throughout the building, enhancing the overall brightness.

The interiors of the new aquatic centre offer a similar sense of continuity and interconnectedness. The accents are minimalist — white tiles, polished concrete, and touches of black ceramic and gyp-sum — and the entire building, with its heat-exchange pumps and geothermal climate-control system, is in the process of being LEED certified. But the best features are the windows. “There are cross views throughout the building,” says Daniel Fontaine, a partner at Poirier Fontaine. The pools have second-storey observation decks, the community room and dance studio look out to both sides of the block, and while the individualized change rooms are private, the main locker area is visible from the swimming pavilions — a feature that enhances security.

Other connections are less literal, more thematic. “When coming up with our plan,” says Tudor Radulescu, co-founder of KANVA, “we asked ourselves, ‘How do the complex’s different program types come together and make one another better?’” For Radulescu, the design concept boils down to two keywords: discovery and performance. The library in the old building sits near the eastern edge of the property, occupying the same horizontal plane as the family pool in the new building — this region, for Radulescu, is the discovery zone. Similarly, there’s an auditorium in the south end of the old building, which will eventually be linked to the athletics pool in the new one — this is the performance zone.

While visitors won’t necessarily take in a show and a swim competition on the same day, people will walk through the buildings and perhaps notice the thematic resonances between the spaces. Perhaps they’ll even recognize the potential to make the most of their visit — for instance, by popping into the library after a swim or vice versa. At the very least, they’ll become aware of the range of amenities available to them. They may also notice the wheelchair-friendly hallways and all-gender change rooms — features that maximize access. “The facility is free for Montreal residents,” Fontaine adds. The most meaningful connection is the one between a building and the people it serves.

Architects and designers worth their salt understand the importance of conveying context in built environments, but identifying how the client perceives that context isn’t always obvious. Such was the case with the design of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in Seattle by architecture firm NBBJ. Despite overseeing its fair share of healthcare projects over decades — from a 344-bed infirmary in Scotland to one of the largest children’s behavioural health centres in the U.S. — the global firm still had to navigate a learning curve to fully grasp the client’s wants and needs. We spoke with project team leads Edwin Beltran (partner and interior design leader) and Christina Yates (lead interior designer) about their experience and lessons learned.

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Encourage more client involvement

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Find artwork that speaks to the audience

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Give visitors a look behind the curtain…

…but don’t lose sight of efficiency in the process

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Don’t forget this is also a workplace

Specifying flooring for healthcare settings is no easy feat. From stringent hygiene requirements to the ability to stand up to heavy equipment — and the need to add warmth and beauty to often sterile spaces — there are many factors to consider. These collections by LX Hausys, Mannington Commercial, Tarkett and Mohawk Group fit the bill.

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Natural Selection Plus by LX Hausys

Contributing to soothing interior settings, this collection of heterogeneous sheets features 15 authentic-looking wood-grain patterns and an equal number of designs that mimic the appearance of concrete or textured fabrics like cotton, felt and linen. Specifically intended for healthcare spaces, the flooring is anti-fungal and antibacterial and has an enhanced surface treatment that prevents micro-scratching and staining.

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Open Range by Mannington Commercial

With 12 realistic wood looks (from warm to neutral), the Open Range series of thermoset rubber-plank flooring introduces a touch of nature to a variety of healthcare scenarios. Offering first-rate cushioning underfoot, the slip-resistant and high-traction collection is suitable for physical therapy and patient rooms, lobbies and waiting rooms, and enables easy manoeuvring of hospital beds and heavy equipment. A self-migrating wax coating reduces maintenance requirements and the need for chemical stripping.

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iQ Granit by Tarkett

A refreshed Swedish-inspired palette and organic patterns lend iQ Granit a new and invigorating personality: The soft, tonal chip designs reference the beauty and strength of natural stone, while the 43 colourways offer opportunities to create tailored environments. The homogeneous vinyl sheets and tiles withstand high traffic, are certified as asthma- and allergy- friendly and require only an occasional dry buff to maintain.

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Medella Fleck by Mohawk Group

One of three new introductions to the Medella line of homogeneous resilient sheets, Medella Fleck is offered in 18 soft colours with terrazzo-style patterning and can be installed wall-to-wall to create an impermeable floor for infection control and moisture resistance; matching weld rods are available for seamless applications. The carbon-neutral product also has a high-performance top layer that ensures protection against scratching, abrasions, staining and denting.

A hospital stay often leaves one craving the comforts of home. These seating collections by Arcadia Contract, Allseating, SitOnIt and Brunner Group bring a residential appeal to healthcare spaces, while ensuring hygiene, durability and comfort remain top of mind.

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Pirra Lounge by Arcadia Contract

Barcelona-based Gemma Bernal designed the Pirra lounge chair with warmth and well-being in mind. The wood frame imparts a sense of calm in clinical environments, and a slight pitch in the seat (with built-in suspension support in the back and seat cushions) ensures comfort during prolonged sitting.

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Rühe by Allseating

The multi-range Rühe, by industrial designer Mike Shields, combines durability and cleanability with soft finishes and elegant elements like a welcoming inverted curve in the armrests, natural wood accents and clean-lined profiles. Included in the series are guest, patient and lounge chairs, two- to three-seater sofas and more.

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Cora by SitOnIt

Slender legs and a minimal profile belie the strength that Cora offers: The five models available have a rigid steel construction that can accommodate larger bodies and weight capacities up to 340 kilos; grips on the tubular arms assist in getting in and out of the seat. Multiple bleach-cleanable upholstery fabrics are offered, the frame can be silver or black and the feet can have casters or glides.

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Feel by Brunner Group

With fine-tuned ergonomics and a Scandinavian design, the Feel line by AART Designers includes an armchair and two stackable lounge chairs (with medium or high backs). The pale wood frame features rounded armrests with a flat surface that provide stability when standing up. Feel also includes an ottoman and a wheelchair-accessible table.

Designed by architect Alberto Apostoli, the four-piece Wellness Therapy family of furniture from Varaschin is equipped with advanced technology, and its simple forms create a completely immersive and personal experience.

The Letto Singolo, an upholstered relaxation bed, can feature an attached elliptical light ring that is made of resin and equipped with RGB colour therapy; the emitted light can be a single colour or transition through an automatic rotation. More than 20 “wellness” fabrics are available for the mattress, and eight finishes are offered for the ring. Supports for the bed include any combination of tubular metal (in nine colours) or resin feet (in the same eight finishes as the light ring), contoured acrylic planks or stone-like tables. A double-bed version is also available.

As smooth as a pebble worn down by water, the Sasso side table has a pleasing tactility and soothing visual presence. A “multi-sensory furnishing element,” the object distributes aromatherapy, chromotherapy and sound therapy and has a radiant heating function that warms the surface, which includes a spot for a cup of herbal tea. The stone-inspired resin piece comes in multiple sizes, five neutral shades and three textures.